


notre fin heureuse

by enigmaticfreddie



Category: Papillon (2018)
Genre: I'm not sorry, It's not IN French, Kinda violent but not too bad, M/M, and what a way to come back..., cuz yeah, finally adding some more WORKS to my already impressive (read: im gonna throw up) collection, i don't know if the tone is consistent but y'all better love it anyway, i haven't written a fic on this site for about 12 trillion years and i've been ACHING to do so, i spent like 7 hours on this so y'all better appreciate it, i'm going to scream now, im gonna fucking pee my pants, just the title is, louis is cute uwu, male kissin uwu, no smut sorry pals, papillon is a snack that smiles back but wbk, sorry for any mistakes my ass was deliriously tired while writing about half of this, the last time i was able to write a fic on this site was 4 years ago we-, these two said fuck toxic masculinity lol, with a henri n louis fic... ugh my mind... the flavor... such superiority
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 13:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17899328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticfreddie/pseuds/enigmaticfreddie
Summary: au where henri and louis go to the same high school and louis counts on henri for protection against bullies.akaa henri n louis fic because y'all aren't intellectual enough to give me 8000 of them so i gotta write one my damn self because i've read every ding damn one of them ok... idk idk i just wanna write all the fics because these bitches deserve each other





	notre fin heureuse

Papillon breathed in, feeling the vapor pulse through his lungs and he watched as the smoke puffed out in three perfect rings. He cleared his throat and threw the cigarette, crushing it beneath his boot as he lifted his eyes to face the building before him. He exhaled deeply at the sight of it, reluctantly following the path toward the entrance. He took one last deep breath as his calloused hand made contact with the door handle. He turned to look behind him, as if anything in the parking lot would save him from this day. He groaned at the observation that there was in fact, nothing. He brashly threw open the door, and let the energy of the people inside trap him. 

The hoards of students gathered in cliques hooped and hollered at the sight of Papillon, making the blonde smile and high five a few boys he recognized. He scratched at the sun-splashed stubble on his chin, his smirk disappearing just as soon as he made it beyond their line of sight. He ventured to his locker, which was located on the ground floor, straight down the hall from the building's entrance way. He spun the dial almost carelessly, capable of opening it with such little thought. His mother always told him he had a robber's hands, quick and precise without needing much help from the brain. His hands always knew what to do long before he did.

Papillon sighed, still trying to blink away the exhaustion threatening his eyes. He rested his head against the top shelf of his locker and closed his eyes. The dirty metallic scent hit him like a freight train and if Papillon wasn't so tired, he would have retracted in disgust. Usually, the cigarettes were fairly successful at waking him up, but Papillon still felt tired as a dog after one and a half. The irritating ping of the school bell snapped him out of it as he scrambled to grab his things for his first period class. He promptly turned on his heel and made way for the stairwell until a grim voice from further down the hallway stopped him.

"Don't tell anyone or you'll really get it." Said a deep, gravelly voice that Papillon was angry with himself for not recognizing. Papillon crept toward the sound of the voice, wondering if he could catch the bastard off guard. All thoughts about getting to class on time were abandoned. The twitch in Papillon's hand spoke louder than the voices in his head trying to scream at him to walk the other way. There was a small whimper from who Papillon assumed to be another male, and who this douche was probably bullying. This guy would have a lot of nerve picking on a girl like that. Then again, Papillon had always felt more progressive than most. Papillon dropped the whole creeping idea, and hurried to the direction of the sound.

He found a petite brunette boy gathering his things from off the floor. The boy had a golden tan, and even from the distance Papillon could see a light dusting of freckles along each expanse of skin. His waist was so minute, Papillon could probably wrap his whole arm around it. He had full, almost pouty lips. Papillon thought he had a right to be pouty. The boy was short, apparently tiny in every sense of the word. His nose was round, but not too big and the bifocals sat upon it comfortably. Papillon was sure to drag his feet a little so the other male would hear him coming before he said anything. The boy that was picking on him just a second ago was nowhere in sight.

"Hey, um. Do you need help?" Papillon muttered in question, still startling the brunette even though he had specifically tried not to. It didn't help as he stood up, coming up an obvious few inches shorter than Papillon. Papillon could see he was short while he was crouched down before, but holy fuck. His circular glasses had been cracked and fear hid within his jade green eyes. No matter how much Papillon tried to seem non-threatening, he really could manhandle the other boy if he so pleased. Anyone even close to Papillon's size or even a little smaller, less muscular, could probably say the same. Papillon thought maybe he knew that too. The brunette offered him a shy smile nonetheless.

"I'm okay, thank you." He spluttered, sounding as nervous as he had looked upon the sight of Papillon. He pushed his now-cracked glasses further up his nose and cleared the phlegm from his throat as he passed the blonde. Papillon was left stunned, even if the emotion didn't translate physically. Of course he did ask, and of course  _ no  _ was an option, but that wasn't what he expected to hear at all. However, he couldn't blame the boy if he felt afraid. There was just about nothing left Papillon could do, so he started toward the stairwell without another blink.

* * *

 

And damn Papillon for ever being shocked that the brunette was in his first hour class. He had never seen him before today, and maybe that was due to the fact that he was new or that Papillon was just incredibly unobservant. Papillon assumed the latter as the teacher never made any typical, movie-esque new kid announcement, or even noticed him any more than he had everyone else. Papillon felt his eyes dance around the room, wanting desperately just to land on the brunette in the back of the class. He didn't want to seem creepy, but well... he was. 

So Papillon kept an eye on him. The brunette never met his eyes but Papillon knew the other was aware of his occasional glances-turned staring. As Papillon watched him, he absorbed the way his raven hair curled slightly at the tips. He looked clean, precise and pretty. Papillon chuckled to himself as he watched the boy, never thinking that he would describe another male that way. Papillon's hands fidgeted on the desk as his eyes glazed over every crack and crevice, fingering the indents a little to give him something else to focus on. 

He soon found his eyes wandering again, to the mystery sitting in the worst seat in the room. As Papillon slowly let his eyes trail down, he noticed the brunette had a sophisticated manner of dress and overall, he was a good looking guy in Papillon's mind. The other boy finally trapped Papillon's gaze, eyebrows furrowed like he didn't appreciate the attention. Papillon knew the moment would come, but let himself indulge anyway. He was being blatantly creepy to be fair, so the feeling of being a fly succumbing to the whims of a venus fly trap was nothing he could really blame the brunette for. Papillon shot an apologetic smile his direction and refocused on the class. 

When class finished, Papillon fought the urge to wait for the other boy and walk with him. He didn't know why, but he felt a strong sense of protectiveness over him. He hardly knew him, and he knew it was ridiculous for him to feel that way, but Papillon didn't do well with bullies. He started to hate a lot of people a while back when he was getting bullied himself; a huge percentage of the guys who now kiss the feet he walks on and high five him as he walks through the door, were the ones who bullied him in middle school years ago.

So it just reaffirmed the humble feeling in his chest that if he could help this boy who obviously struggled to care for himself, he could consider himself a good man.

Papillon felt good about himself for the rest of the day.

* * *

 

That night, the brunette had eradicated all of Papillon's other thoughts and took the place of them. He was irredeemably anxious to get to school the next day, which was a thought that Papillon had to adjust to. Hell, only the day before he had been hoping the ground would swallow him up just so he didn't have to be there. He didn't think about it, didn't remotely question himself as he instantly looked for the brunette once he entered the building. He forwent smoking a cigarette or two in the parking lot and beelined straight for his locker so he could be ready. He rounded the familiar corner and was disheartened, but not at all surprised that he didn't see Tiny Brunette there.

Papillon slugged his way up the stairs and into his first hour spot, happy to see the quirky brunette in the back of the class. Said brunette skeptically raised an eyebrow at the sight of Papillon. Papillon smiled, content before getting a head start on the work assigned.

* * *

 

"Do you expect me to get thrown around every day?" A grainy voice asked as they charged up to Papillon, who had just expertly opened his locker with his magic touch. Class had ended about three minutes prior. Papillon fought his body's natural reaction to jump and startle at someone raising their voice unexpectedly. He also pushed against his body's instant urge to smile at the familiar voice.

"Excuse me?" Papillon asked, immediately putting up a front as if he'd been caught red-handed. In a way, he had. Jet black hair curled around and framed his angry features as he stared up at Papillon expectantly. Like the answer was obvious.

"You looked for me. I can tell. What do you want from me?" And fuck, did he see him this morning or something? How could he possibly have known? He _ didn't _ know. Papillon kept up his front, lips pressed in a tight line and the space between his eyebrows tensed into a knot. 

"I don't want anything from you. I hardly know you." Papillon spat like a venom, acting much angrier than he actually felt. Nonetheless, this boy had no right. Still, the brunette didn't retract, which was surprising enough considering the circumstances. 

"But you want to. What's the deal then? Do you want to beat me up too? Because I assure you I have nothing to gi-" Papillon was deeply offended at the assumption, but at the same time he looked so pretty accusing Papillon. Deep green eyes boring up at Papillon's hazel, breathing a little heavy, brows arched with tension. He was trying his best to defend himself, which could hurt him very badly if he messed with the wrong person.

"For fuck's sake, I don't want to hurt you. I thought I made that pretty clear." The boy scoffed and broke eye contact, crossing his arms over his chest. Papillon leaned in close, causing the boy to look at him again. "You could use a guy like me to watch over you." Papillon stated proudly, pointing at his chest as he did so.

"Watch over me?" Papillon thought the brunette looked cute as he tasted the words in his mouth and spit them out like hot wasabi. 

"Yeah, like if anyone gives you trouble... I'll rough 'em up a bit." The boy's features hardly softened and his still-aggressive glare flicked from Papillon's face, down to his chest, and returned. Papillon fought a proud smile.

"What's in it for you? I don't even know your name." And then it seemed a thought crossed the brunette's mind and his eyes lit up with fire. "I knew you wanted something from me. You know I come from a wealthy family, don't you? I can't believe-" The boy's voice said  _ anger _ but his eyes said  _ sadness _ . Papillon grabbed Tiny Brunette's hands and pulled them to his chest to keep him from being violent. He was much like a chihuahua, or some other small dog; an ankle biter.

"Relax. No, I didn't know that. I just don't like to see a kid get kicked around. I used to be you, and I just want to help. If you feel the need to repay me, so be it. But I'm not asking." Papillon informed him sternly and honestly. The boy settled a little, but refused to meet Papillon's sharp stare. His eyes fixed back on Papillon's chest as he seemingly weighed the options. "And it's Papi- uh, Papillon. Call me whatever you want." The boy sighed and Papillon released his hands, figuring he shouldn't have even grabbed them in the first place. Papillon watched as he tangled his delicate hand through his curls. He really could put some hands on him if he was anyone else. 

Papillon itched where he stood, curious as to what title belonged to the small brunette he had been fascinated with for the past twenty four hours.

"Dega. Louis Dega. And I'm going to decline your offer, thanks." And without another word, Dega was gone.

* * *

 

Turns out "no" only sufficed for about a week. It wasn't even Dega's decision; he never changed his mind. Stubborn, like a child, and Papillon quickly learned that. Just because he knew that doesn't mean he understood it. Why Dega didn't just accept his help was beyond Papillon's thinking capacity. There was no reason he had to put up with this. And after a while, Papillon just couldn't take it anymore, staring at the kid he was weirdly drawn to and watching him appear with some new kind of bruise every few days. Papillon didn't even know why they were bothering him. Did they have some agreement that he would do their homework and if he didn't, he'd pay for it? Did they do it just for fun? Did they do it because they knew he was the rich kid and they wanted money? The thought sent bile running up Papillon's throat, but he swallowed it back down. 

It wasn't until he caught Dega being roughed up by a couple kids that he really took matters upon himself, and gave them a taste of their own medicine. He didn't think about anything else, didn't hesitate even the slightest bit. He crept up behind the first guy, a football player, figures, and kicked his feet from underneath him. He was thick and stocky, and he landed heavy on the floor with a grunt. Papillon didn't feel the least bit sorry, as he looked like the lead of the group and he was the one who had been kicking Dega into submission when he found them. He lay only a few feet away from Dega's legs, stunned. Papillon didn't have time to see the look on Dega's face because he knew the other two would make an effort shortly, and Papillon was nothing if not prepared. 

He punched the ginger boy square in his gigantic nose. Pulling back from it, he realized he recognized him from his fourth period class. The ginger boy wailed, clutching his nose and seeking comfort in leaning against the wall. The beefy football player kept groaning, sounding almost like he was suffocating. Either he really couldn't take a hit or he hit his head when he fell. Maybe it knocked the wind out of him. Papillon didn't have much time to analyze the situation because Doofus #3's hands were on him, pulling him down to the ground from behind. Papillon became bothered by the fact that Dega wasn't saying anything. What if they really hurt him? The anger sinking up from his gut lurched into his throat and he spun himself around, straddling the blonde imbecile. He punched him not once or twice but three times, although one would have done the job. He didn't want them badly hurt, he just wanted them afraid. 

Papillon looked over to the quivering brunette still lying on the floor beside them. Dega only watched, round eyes wide and awestruck. Papillon retracted from his position, his hearing cutting back in after he allowed himself out of  _the zone._ He hadn't heard the football player yelling at him and trying to get his attention. He fought what he felt, and that was the only thing that mattered in the moment. Protecting Dega was all that mattered, because frankly, Papillon never wanted to find anyone doing something like that to him ever again. It sickened him, so much that he felt it in his stomach. 

"Beat it!" Papillon scolded, anger level still at a simmer. The football player's eyes had gone wide, and he was pale. It was then that Papillon realized he probably recognized him, and that's what he had been yelling at him for. Most people didn't want to give Papillon trouble, so he was probably trying to smooth it over, like a weak little bitch. 

"Papi! I didn't know he was your friend. So so sorry." The boys came back together, mulling in their pain and scurried off. Papillon recovered from the fight, flexing his knuckles to gauge his discomfort and attempting at getting his breath back. He was a little bloody, but it's not like it had never happened before. He trusted that the boys wouldn't be telling anyone about this, as the vision of their terrified stares came back in flashes. That didn't eliminate the possibility of him getting in trouble though; there were cameras on every inch of the place, and the place the boys picked was the dumbest and most obvious place for a fight. Papillon shrugged it off, sucking in a breath and getting it together. He turned over to Dega, who was no longer shaking, but he was still on the floor. His bottom half lay flat while his torso was perched up, allowing Dega to see better. Without another beat, Papillon walked over and helped Dega off the floor, confused when he groaned in discomfort. 

"Leg's fucked." Dega mumbled and Papillon nodded, handling him more carefully. As careful as he should have been handling him the first time. Of fucking course they hurt him that bad. Papillon fought the urge to snap at any moment, although his lips stayed pressed in a tight line. 

"Alright, put your weight on me. I've got you. I'll take you to the nurse." Dega listened without argument. Papillon wrapped an arm around the boy's small waist, almost feeling guilty for reveling in the feeling. Dega's arm found its place around Papillon's neck and Papillon did most of the work for Dega. He had no idea how bad the boys had hurt his leg, and he didn't want to take any chances.

"Are you sure I'm not too heavy?" Papillon fought a laugh at the question, and when he looked into Dega's eyes, he could tell it was supposed to be a joke. Papillon chuckled, shaking his head at the boy who laughed a little. Papillon thought he might like to hear him laugh again under different circumstances. Maybe he could even kiss him while he did it, inhaling the gorgeous sound into his mouth and tasting it on his own accord.

"So why do they call you Papillon?" Dega muttered softly once Papillon got him situated on the nurse's bench. He didn't see her anywhere and he was fucked if he even knew what time it was or what class he was supposed to be in. 

"Just always been something that kind of means something to me, you know? Butterflies and all that... 's symbolic for me." Papillon didn't even know if he was making any sense. Regardless, he pointed his body toward Dega and lowered his shirt so he could see the tattoo, amongst many others he would probably see eventually. Hopefully. Dega nodded with no further questioning. "'M real names Henri. Charriere." That made Dega smile fondly, and Papillon almost stopped breathing at the sudden flick of Dega's eyes staring into his own. 

"Quite like that name. Henri." Dega muttered. He was a new kind of quiet today, Papillon guessed he kind of understood why. He was hesitant to leave Dega there when the nurse took over. He would need further medical attention, that much was obvious. And something in Papillon just wanted to help him so bad. 

Regardless, he nodded to Dega as a goodbye and the nurse dismissed him back to class. Papillon thought of Dega the rest of the day.

* * *

 

Dega hadn't been in school for weeks and that didn't surprise Papillon, but it agitated him. The blonde felt anxious when Dega wasn't around and he couldn't keep an eye on him. He didn't want to think about Dega off somewhere being hurt. His hands craved to feel the warmth of Dega's waist as it had when he helped him to the nurse's office; to protect him and hold him tight so people couldn't get to him. 

The feeling drove Papillon crazy, made him dizzy and made it hard to sleep. He had to chew his lip raw just to expel the feeling. He didn't even fully understand it; just chalked it up to his deep seeded hatred for bullying and everyone who participated in it. Maybe because he was big and strong now, he felt he had something to prove. Most of all, he just wanted to be a good person. A better person than those people.

And he wanted Louis Dega to think he was a good person.

* * *

 

"Here, take it." Dega grumbled, slapping some cash onto Papillon's desk, green eyes shining. He seemed irritated, and maybe at Papillon. Papillon grabbed it quickly and stood, scrambling to Dega's side. He told himself not to grab Dega by the waist and help him get to his desk. _That's what crutches are for, Papillon. Let it go._

"Are you crazy? You think you can just throw money around here? It'll give people an excuse to hassle you even more. One broken leg is enough, Dega. Shit..." The blonde scolded, leaning in close and whispering. Papillon stuffed it into his jacket pocket for the time being, just so it was out of sight from the greedy little bastards they went to school with. He was still telling himself not to help Dega, but the attempt was unsuccessful. He stood beside him, guiding him as he walked.

"I can handle myself, you know." Dega smirked softly as Papillon helped him sit in a position that wouldn't put too much pressure on his injured leg. Once he was all settled, Papillon ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair, getting it out of his face. Dega watched the action closely, which Papillon appreciated.

"Is that why you just tossed a wad of cash at me for sticking up for you?" Papillon mumbled snottily, getting close to the brunette's ear again, making him visibly shiver. "Anyway, take it back. Your leg is broken. I haven't done shit to protect you." Papillon sneakily stuffed it back into Dega's hand and stayed put, glaring at him until he reluctantly put it away. 

"You beat up three guys for me. I'd hardly say that's nothing." Dega's brows furrowed as he looked up at Papillon. "You said I could repay you." He almost looked sad as he said it. Papillon shook his head and stared off to the side, scanning to see if anyone around was looking.

"Don't worry about it, Dega." The bell rang to start class and Papillon's eyes shot to his seat at the front, analyzing the path from Dega's desk to his own and how long it would take him to get there. Dega stopped him, a tiny hand's tight grip on his muscular arm.

"I-Is money not what you want?" He asked softly, green eyes calculating, analyzing hazel. Papillon almost blushed at what Dega was implying. As much as he would enjoy that, he liked Dega, genuinely. He cared about him, respected him, wanted him safe, wanted to be the one to keep him safe.

"Dega, I don't need anything. Honestly, don't worry about it. I'm _not_ asking." Dega nodded, accepting the answer but Papillon could tell he still wanted to talk about it. Regardless, he dropped it and let Papillon make the short adventure to his own desk.

* * *

 

"Papi- Papillon!" Yelled a voice from the distance. Papillon didn't even try and fight the smile that crept onto his face. He turned around, gauging how far away Dega was and jogged back toward the school entrance to be by him.

"What's up? Are you okay? Is someone following you?" Papillon's mind always went to the worst, and he had to make sure Dega was okay. Nonetheless, he was happy to see him. Dega shook his head immediately, and Papillon settled with a smile. Dega rested a hand on Papillon's bicep to fix his crutches and stand in a more comfortable position. Papillon let him.

"Just wanted you to walk with me. You know, in case someone does." Papillon nodded, understanding completely. It had to have been easier to have a tough guy on your arm. And Papillon always wanted to protect him. People could be such assholes, and he wouldn't be surprised if someone would still go after Dega even though he was crippled.  Papillon realized that people noticed them, noticed he was with Dega. Papillon saw them whispering to each other, probably making up some bullshit lies. Maybe they were some of his bullies and were surprised he wasn't alone for once. Surprised they couldn't just run up and do whatever they wanted to him, because Papillon would do something about it if they did.

"Do you want help?" Dega startled slightly at the sudden question before looking at Papillon in confusion. "With walking." Papillon clarified, still scanning the area to see who was interested in Dega and Papillon walking together. 

"How would you help me, Papillon?" Dega scoffed a little but smiled after, showing off his set of straight white teeth. He had a lovely smile, and Papillon knew he'd like to see more of it. Papillon just shrugged, not really knowing where he was going with the question when he asked it.

"Could carry you. Piggyback rides are fun, right?" Dega shot him a weird look, but laughed Papillon just shook the thought away.  The two walked in silence, the sound of crutches humbling Papillon as he tried to set a good pace for him and Dega.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Why do you want to help me-" It was a question Papillon wasn't expecting and he choked on a breath, trying to come up with an answer. "Sorry? Sorry for what?" Dega asked, round eyes widening. Papillon was relieved he had more time to think about his own answer.

"This. This whole thing. I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry I didn't get there in time." Dega let out a sound akin to a pfft, before catching Papillon's gaze in his orbit again.

"It's not your fault. There's no way you could've known." _But I could have, I know you get bullied. I could've known, I did know._ "It's not your job to protect me, no matter how much you treat it like one. Which I still don't understand, by the way." 

"I know you get bullied, so how couldn't I have known, Dega? Tell me how." Papillon didn't mean to get angry, but it was frustrating. He hated every second that Dega had to be like this, and the sound of his crutches hitting the ground gnawed on the blonde's tympanic membrane with every step. Dega stopped walking and looked at him for a moment.

"Did you know?" Papillon rolled his eyes, because it was the only thing he felt he could do. When he put it like that, it was obvious. No, he didn't know. He shook his head in response.

"But I should have. Your leg is broken, Dega!" Papillon couldn't believe Dega didn't care as much as him.

"And without you, they might have broken the other one. Stop making yourself feel guilty when you did nothing wrong. Now answer my question." Dega resumed walking, and he would have left Papillon in the dust if he could move faster.  "I mean, I know you said you used to get bullied but so do many people. You could be protecting everyone. Why is it just me?" Papillon sucked his bottom lip into his mouth. He didn't know a conversation could be so stressful. 

"Just sorta felt drawn to you, I guess." He mumbled, hoping Dega would just accept it because he really couldn't give him another answer. He was still pissed, and honestly, he felt like he was being interrogated.

"Yeah?" He sounded soft saying it, cute, fond. A weight lifted and Papillon smiled at him, returning eye contact once again.

"Yeah." The blonde confirmed. Then Papillon's mouth opened and closed as if deciding if he should admit it or not. "You know, I missed you when you were out of school? It drives me crazy not being around you. I don't even know why. We're not friends and we barely know each other. I don't... I don't know. I guess I don't really understand all of this myself." Papillon was afraid to see the look on Dega's face at his admission. 

"But you like being around me?" His tone was playful, mischievous, kind of sexy if Papillon was being honest. Papillon sucked in a breath dramatically as he finally looked at Dega again. He smiled at the sight of Dega's smile and shook his head, because this tiny brunette had no right to be so cocky.

"Yeah. I do, Dega." Papillon shot him a smirk and a wink which Dega surprisingly returned.

"You should call me Louis."

* * *

 

From that day on, it was considered routine for the blonde to walk the brunette home. Even long after he was out of his crutches. Louis didn't live too far from the school, but Papillon did pass his house on the way to Louis'. It always bothered Louis that he did that, because he could easily make the rest of the way home. It was just comforting to have Papillon around when he left school so he could be sure no one was following him. When it came to where Papillon should head his separate way, there was almost a 0% chance that someone would have followed him that far if he were alone. Still, Papillon insisted on staying with him because  _you never know what could happen and I don't want to hear that someone beat you up when I easily could have been there_   _to keep you safe._ Louis found it endearing, to say the least. 

Louis and Papillon had become rather close. Neither could say it was like a friendship they've had before. The gravitation between the two was almost magnetic. Papillon didn't want to be anywhere Louis wasn't and vice versa. And it was for reasons that they would never admit, that they kept it going like that. It was easy to let it fall under the logic blanket of Papillon being his protector, but Louis knew that wasn't entirely it. Even if he wasn't quite ready to admit that to himself. 

Louis had learned a lot about Papillon in the coming weeks and months. He knew what made Papillon the most angry, how he liked his eggs in the morning, the brand of cigarette he will never buy, and which of his tattoos was his favorite. And well, Louis couldn't say it was a surprise that it was the flying insect just below his throat. In return, Papillon learned a lot about Louis. His relationship with his parents, that he liked to read and write and paint, that he was one of the smartest people Papillon had probably ever met, and if Papillon thought he couldn't admire Louis more, another shock wave crashed in its wake.

Louis still limped and his doctors said he probably would the rest of his life, which could cause him to develop serious back and spine issues. But when Papillon looked into Louis' eyes, it was like none of that affected him. He wasn't bothered that he couldn't walk as easy as he used to. He was just happy to be rid of those godforsaken crutches. Papillon still tried to help him whenever he could, never straying too far from Louis if he ever needed to lean against the muscular man because he got too tired. Papillon commonly found himself wrapping an arm around Louis' waist, guiding him as they walked together. As much as Louis didn't seem to be bothered, he knew the whole situation could frustrate him sometimes. He knew Louis didn't blame him for it, but Papillon couldn't help but blame himself. Although, he tried not to in the presence of the petite brunette.

* * *

 

"Hey, how's my favorite boy?" Papillon shouted rather exaggeratedly loudly for Louis' taste, but Papillon didn't miss his smile as the boy tucked himself underneath Papillon's arm. Jet black curls tickled Papillon's nose and he sighed, content with the feeling. If he could stay like this all day, he would in a heartbeat. The school had begun to notice how close the pair had gotten and generally made an effort to leave Louis alone or otherwise face Papillon's wrath. "Any pain today?" Papillon asked, burying his face in coconut scented curls. 

"Mm, I didn't sleep that well last night. 'M back's killing me and my leg's giving me some trouble too." Papillon pulled the boy closer, kissing his forehead. Unknowingly, he made the boy smile and bite his lip as he buried his face in the blonde's chest, inhaling the musky, masculine scent. One of Louis' hands rested on his back and the other on his hip before he pulled away from the blonde altogether. "I'm gonna head to third period. I'll catch you later. I need to talk to you about something after school." Papillon's smile fell.

"Don't you want me to go with you?" He asked, confused. Louis had not gone to a class without Papillon for the past month. Papillon figured maybe he needed space. Maybe his body really was bothering him and he didn't want to snap at Papillon, because it did make him incredibly frustrated and irritable at times. _He has to talk to me? Why didn't he just say what he needed to say now? Was it that serious?_ Papillon couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Nah, I'm good. Have a good day, Papi." Louis waved him off, heading for the stairwell and trying not to struggle on the first step. Louis knew he could take the elevator and Papillon didn't know why he didn't. 

Papillon shook his head, trying to snap out of it. He told himself to give the boy some space, and Louis would come to him when he needed to.

* * *

 

The end of the day rolled around far too slowly. It was, as Papillon put it, dreadfully agonizing. Or agonizingly dreadful. Whichever sounded worse. Papillon waited for Louis just outside the main entrance of the school. He was debating going in and finding him, because he was taking longer than usual. But that's when he saw him. He shot the boy a smile, wrapping his arm around Louis' and leading them. Louis skipped the "How was your day?" crap today, which was fine by Papillon. He liked when they got into real conversation, and it made the walk more bearable. But Papillon thought Louis made a lot of things more bearable. 

"Are you okay? You haven't said much." Papillon queried after a while, the silence becoming too dreadful. "You needed to talk to me about something?" Louis nodded furiously, sucking in a breath.

"Do you want to just stay for a while when we get to my house?" Papillon was scared, but he nodded anyway. It wasn't the first time they had done that. They loved being around each other, and everything just felt right when they were. He was scared of what Louis had to say, so much that he didn't contribute much to conversation. Neither of them did, leaving them to walk in an eerie silence in fear of what was to come.

When they made it to Louis' house, Papillon's heart was pounding a mile a minute. Louis set his stuff down in the living room and maneuvered to the kitchen. Papillon had long since passed the stage of feeling bad for Louis as he watched him walk, but it still got to him sometimes. Papillon took a seat on the couch, eyeing Louis' every movement.

"Do you want some juice?" It took everything in Papillon not to scream at him to get to the point. They were both incredibly nervous, and they were feeding on each other's anxiety, making it worse for each other. That was the only thing that was bad about their relationship; they absorbed each other's emotions. Opting to act like everything was fine, Papillon just shook his head and muttered a soft  _no_.  Louis finally came into the living room with his cup of juice and sat beside the blonde.

"What's going on, Louis?" The brunette sighed heavily before the question was even off of Papillon's tongue. 

"I have something to tell you." Papillon fought the urge to roll his eyes, because he knew that already. "I don't know how you're going to react. I think maybe it might be good, if I'm any good at reading people but-" Papillon cleared his throat, getting impatient. Louis took this as a sign, staring at Papillon deeply for a moment and nodding. "Right, sorry. Well, I guess I'll just come right out and say it. I am so in love with you." As much as Papillon hated to say it, his breath hitched. He couldn't say he was shocked, because he had been reading it on Louis for a while now. Louis had apparently done the same, because he said so and that's why he was telling him. Papillon was more shocked because he didn't think this day would come so soon. He'd wanted to taste Louis' lips for a while now, and there they were, plump and pouty and soft.  "Papi?" There they were saying his name, and he loved the sound of it. 

"Can I kiss you?" Was all Papillon could think to say, because he wanted it so bad and he thinks Louis probably knows that from the way he's looking at him. Louis nodded with a smile, laughing a little and it is the sweetest sound Papillon has ever heard. He didn't hesitate to lean in as soon as he was given permission. Louis whined when the blonde's lips pressed against his. He instinctively tangled a hand in his hair, the other wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer. Papillon was on top of him now, and he was grateful Louis' parents weren't home, because he wanted to cherish this moment. He wanted to remember the taste of Louis' tongue against his, the flavor of raspberry gum. He always wanted to be able to feel the pressure of Louis' hands tugging on his golden locks. He wanted to remember how it felt to have Louis pressed into the couch as he licked into his mouth like he'd been waiting to ever since he saw him.

He wanted to cherish the moment, because it was their moment. A moment they both had been waiting for, a moment they both deserved. 

Papillon didn't think he'd ever want to taste anyone else's mouth for as long as he lived. He never wanted to feel someone else's hands on him. He never wanted to pull anyone else close to him by the waist. He never wanted to protect anyone else like he had Louis Dega. 

In the rise of the moment, he didn't understand why. Neither of them had. But now he gets it. 

The universe was telling Papillon that Louis belonged to him. That he needed to chase their happy ending. That it was chosen for them. And Papillon wondered if maybe that was because they didn't get their happy ending in a different universe. The butterfly effect, but in their own silly way. 

Papillon laughed into Louis' mouth, tears streaming down because he was just so happy. It felt so good. A warmth settled into his chest, a feeling like maybe he had been waiting much longer than he thought for Louis Dega's lips to be on his. 

And the wet, hot tears streaming down Louis' face as he clutched onto Papillon like a lifeline told the blonde maybe he was feeling the same thing.

**Author's Note:**

> WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST DO?!?!??!!


End file.
